crebbsgirl

All I get is ROSE here. I think I just need to face the fact that I simply can't wear predominantly rose blends. I asked my SO what he thought. "Pickles..." was the response I got. So, off to swaps.

This was not at all what I was expecting from an incense blend. Immediately when I put this on it was all citrus. It calmed down a bit and I could distinguish lemongrass, but that seemed to be the only note in here. I didn't get any smoky, or resiny sort of scent here. It's very bright. Not for me.

I love everything about this one. It's warm and woody and truly beautiful. The rose wood and amber are predominant on me, while the red musk and red sandalwood sort of float throughout. It's a very wild but comforting blend. Yum!

I really thought I was going to like this! I normally really enjoy patchouli and sandalwood. In the bottle it was pretty much all patchouli, but the moment it hit my skin, it was all play-doh. I'm blaming the frankincense. I am beginning to think I can't wear that note. I had the same trouble with Faustus and Arcana.

I received this as a sniffie in a swap and there was actually just enough in there for one application, so I greedily tried it on. I have trouble with violet scents because they are usually just too sharp on my skin. The vanilla in this blend really mellows it out. Wet, this is very very sharply violet, but it softens up on the drydown and becomes really quite beautiful. I can just barely detect the gardenia. The vanilla adds a sweetness that seems to temper the sharpness of the violet nicely. Overall, I really enjoy this and I think I will get a full imp before I decide whether it's a big bottle purchase for me.

In the bottle and wet, this is all lemongrass. I was debating washing it off immediately but I stuck it out and I'm so glad that I did. It mellowed considerably and the lemongrass moved to the background. On me, the jasmine and cedarwood really came out, making this a really nice woody floral. The patchouli hangs out in the background, lending a depth to this scent. Overall, I really like this, I just need to get through the first two to five minutes of lemongrass.

In the bottle: Hellooooooooo vetiver! And patchouli, thanks for smacking me in the face! I love you too.

 

On the skin: Almost immediately I am reminded of Voodoo. The patchouli/vetiver combo here is very reminiscent of that blend. On the dry-down, they both mellow out and I can detect the blood orange making it's sweet appearance. This is a very bold blend. A little too loud for my taste.

Someone previously said this smelled like fresh laundry and air freshner and I can't agree more! This has a ozone/ocean salt air with a faintly floral undercurrent. Not a scent I typically enjoy for myself but it is a pleasant scent. I may use it as a room scent instead.

As someone who is primarily not a fan of roses, I must say this blend was pleasantly surprising. I actually really enjoyed it. The rose never reached a point where it was too cloying or heady on me, as opposed to most scents containing it. I think the spice tempers the rose quite nicely. Unfortunately, the rose is the predominant scent here, and roses and my nose just don't get along. I'll be swapping this one.

Alright, I have no idea what happened here. In the bottle the violet is predominant, adding a sharpness to the cinnamon and frankincense. On my skin... play-doh.

In the bottle, patchouli just keeps hitting me over the head. But, I determinedly try everything once. Instantly on my skin it makes me make that face everyone makes when sipping an EXTREMELY dry wine. You know the face... About 10 minutes later this is the very scentual embodiment of the phrase "Something wicked this way comes..." It just keeps repeating itself in my head. About 1/2 hour in this settles into the most beautiful woodsy spicey scent imaginable. I love this!! This is dark and warm and almost a little forboding. A keeper!

It took me two days and multiple wearings of this to actually sit down and write this review. This was possibly the oddest scent experience of my life. Let me first say that when I put this on, all I got was ROSE! (You can see from my other reviews that roses and I tend to have a general dislike for each other.) It settled after a few minutes. And when it settled... wow. I kept sniffing my wrists all evening. And not purposefully either. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I'd just look down suddenly and realize that my wrist was to my nose. I honestly thought I didn't like this scent, but obviously I was wrong. The sandalwood and patchouli really give it an earthiness that cuts the cloying-ness of the rose. Surprisingly I think I may be keeping this.

On me this is very, very rose-y. I can faintly smell the calla lily in the background. This is very sweet. Some hours later the incense-y notes come out. But it takes a very long time. All in all, this is a very, very strong floral on me, and I'm fairly certain it's headed for swaps.

Light. The lavender and soft musk predominate this blend. I can smell the rose and I am assuming the delphinium in the background. The spice floats throughout. A beautiful blend. Not overtly sexual like some of the others. This would work in an office setting or somewhere you needed to be a little more "buttoned-up".

I really, really, really wanted to like this. I love lavender, and spice. This in the bottle was a pretty complex floral. On my skin - it went bubblegum. It was an overly sweet candy like smell that I just couldn't stomach. I blame the lotus.

Unfortunately, this one didn't work on me at all. In the bottle it was a very light, but complex scent. A smoky floral, with just a hint of orange. On me, however, all I can smell is the sweet orange and some sort of flower, I can only assume this is the plumeria. I smell like fruity flowers. Not something I typically enjoy. There really isn't any depth of the scent on me. Off to swaps!

The minute this touched my skin - it went all rose. I was hoping for some amber or carnation but all I got was rose. It didn't develop past that for me. Sadly, this one is off to swaps.

In the bottle I'm struck by how floral this is. For only having one floral note, it seems to be dominating the rest of the blend. I'm a little frightened. Once on, however, the opium blends with the lily of the valley and deepens it. The red sandalwood and vanilla are hanging out in the background, so that you really have to search them out, but they add a smooth lightness to the blend. I can't detect the mandarin on me at all. It's a really beautiful scent.

I was very wary of this scent, as I have had a lot of trouble with mandarin notes in the past. I needn't have worried. This is a truly beautiful blend. It's a very complex scent, and I almost can't distinguish individual notes. It's a spicy, floral, sweet blend. The rose is predominant on me, but I'm actually liking it. (Which is odd for me, given my general distaste for all things floral). I think because it's deepened by the saffron and amber. All in all, I'm really enjoying this one.

What the heck happened here? In the bottle... beautiful. It was everything the more positive reviews were saying - sensuous, comfortable, warm and inviting. I had seriously high hopes for this. It was all sandalwoody goodness. And then, I put it on. After about 10 minutes of yummy something started smelling... odd. I sniffed around my entire office before reluctantly putting my nose to my wrist. Yup, that smell... was coming from me. Somehow, it went from cozy warm goodness - to Play-Doh. To the swaps pile it is!

This was all lavender in the bottle, but once I put it on my skin... WOW! The lavender quickly settles into the background and the nag champa, sandalwood and tobacco come out. The nag champa especially tempers the lavender, making it far less astringent than usual. Over all this is a very smooth blend. Beautiful and not too heavy. I would almost swear there was a hint of leather in there. Definitely a big bottle purchase. This works well in the summer, but I can see it holding it's own in the colder months as well.

Honestly, this is the only scent that confuses me. One day I wear it and it's a lush wondrous experience of jasmine and magnolia and amber. One day I wear it and it turns all room-deodorizer-floral on me. This is the only scent I've had such passionate reactions to. I wore it to a dinner at an Indian restaurant and a guy I was chatting with told me it was intoxicating and exotic. That same night someone else asked if I had been cleaning the carpets? So weird. I'll keep this around, but it's always a guessing game when I wear it.

Alright I have no idea what happened here. In the bottle, everything was wonderful. The lavender, orange and almond are all playing nice. You can smell the bergamot and mint sort of floating around there too. On my skin - something smells like play-doh. I'm not kidding.

I was very wary of this, as it was frimped to me in my last package and I have a notoriously rough time with florals and fruits. When I uncapped the imp - oh man - all fruit. I bit the bullet and applied it though and wow! I was shocked. This may be the first fruit BPAL I can wear! It smells delicious. The florals don't overpower and the fruit isn't cloying in the slightest. It almost smells a little like candy, but nothing super sugary. Unfortunately, it wore off in about 4 hours.

I was rather surprised at this one. I am not a fan of florals by any stretch of the imagination but this one was absolutely breathtaking. Even on my skin! It was subtle but still noticeable (if that makes sense). The rose didn't come out at all for me - which may be why I liked it so much. But the jasmine and black orchid were blending beautifully with the musk and sandalwood. I'm not sure if the osmanthus was present or not, but I suspect it was as there seemed to be a dimension to this one that I couldn't quite pin down. All in all, a wonderful scent.